Shakespeare's Head in Brighton and Hove

Wonderfully welcoming staff and incredibly dog-friendly! The Veggie and Vegan roasts are amazing; full of flavour and beautifully prepared. The team went above and beyond, with the chef (or maybe the owner) even bringing out a full roast dinner just for our dog, who absolutely loved it! It was such a thoughtful gesture that really touched us. The atmosphere here is warm and inviting—definitely recommend!

Went to see The Bedford Celts play this evening. Brilliant music as always but also a lovely atmosphere. The bar service was fast and the staff were great. A great night. We weren’t able to eat as they were fully booked but we knew that before we went so can’t review the food (but it looked lush!)

Good but seats need to be a lot better. Tiny bar stools are not comfortable

Best sausage and mash l have had in a long time. 😋😋

No puedo calificar este lugar lo suficientemente alto. Me encanta el establecimiento. El ambiente era ideal para la delicia de la comida, se sentía tan cálido y feliz después de ! gracias!

Came here with my brother recently. Best experience of vibe & food. Thankyou !

Me encanta el pub y la comida, sin duda volveré, y ya he recomendado a otros a hacer lo mismo. Precioso servicio en el bar, rápida llegada de comida, muy agradable para el almuerzo del domingo en familia y genial para cualquier tipo de salchicha que desee probar. Solo un pub fácil con opciones vegetarianas y veganas también, así que inténtalo

Loved this place. Had the chorizo sausages with sage gravy, and the food, service and beer were all toppest notch. Highly recommended 😎

Love it here such a great pub and lovely service. Delicious food and great outdoor areas.

The best Sunday roast one can find in Brighton. The staff were loveliest, and the ambience was the finest. And the roast was so fresh❤️❤️❤️

Delicious sausage and mash, loved all the choices.

Lovely staff, didn't have food but went there late night. The bar staff were pleasant and also helped charge my phone when asking them. The atmosphere was busy but warm and very welcoming. Had no issues, no trouble even though it was late in the night.

Recomendado por un amigo, así que pensé que mi marido y yo lo intentaríamos! Absolutamente deliciosa comida, servicio amable, y muy buenos precios! Muchas gracias Caroline y el personal! Volverá Deffo xxx

Fab Sunday roast, lamb shank and pork belly with all the trimmings. A real gem, fab staff and caroline very responsive to e mails. Loved the place. Deffo will be returning.My only neg was that they didnt have rose by the bottle , but on a positive the malbec was lovely. I'm 5.3 and my legs didn't reach the floor on outside tables so had to shuffle down on the bench! 🤣🤣🤣 well worth a visit, recommend highly

Loved the Bangers and Mash! Really something and very tasty! Lots of different options of bangers and mash to choose from. Staff were very friendly and we enjoyed the atmosphere. Definitely worth checking out!

I went on a sunny evening the last week of June and I spend a delightful moment. The staff is very friendly and the food was absolutely delicious (and I'm French). Un coup de coeur !

La comida de mierda parecía que no había pasión detrás de ella, el personal encantador del bar, sin embargo, no lo recomendaría si tienes hambre, pero es agradable pasar por una copa o dos

Perfect place to sit with a pint!

My go to weekday casual dinner spot! Affordable sausage, mash and gravy is their speciality, with a variety of options to choose from. Great local atmosphere. No watery gravy in sight! Service can sometimes be a little slow at peak times as I understand they have a small kitchen, but it's worth the wait! I recommend downloading the PUBBL app - you can collect points on drinks and food here to use at many pubs across Brighton. Still hoping that the life changing black bean sausage of the week I had last year will make another appearance 🙏

Super cute place! Staff are very friendly and food was amazing!

Amazing Sunday roast, really hardworking and lovely staff <3

Fantastic staff and a great atmosphere 👍🏻

Awesome service, really nice and friendly service. One of my favourite pubs

Very impressive change from my last visit a veeery long time ago. Plenty of outdoor space. Friendly service. Good beer.

Great place to have a bite in Brighton. Kind staff and fair prices. I ordered the bangers n mash and the battered cauliflower and they were both delicious. The atmosphere was nice, as it isn't too noisy unlike other pubs. Would reccomend.

We've been for roasts a few times now. Lovely atmosphere and a good roast. Between us we've had beef, pork, lamb and two of the vegan options. All come with reasonable portion of veg, very nice roast potatoes and nicely presented. Nice vibe inside and not bad outside on a sunny day. Gets quite busy so do book.

Nice atmosphere, friendly bar staff and...a sausage, gravy and mash menu! Veggie and vegan choices and with a serving of perfectly cooked kale. Delish. Check it out!

Yummy roast. Nice environment and friendly staff. I'd recommend it for a Sunday pub sesh!

After walking up the long hill we decided to pop in for a quick cold beer. Ordered one cider and a birra moretti and went to the garden. They were not cold so I took them back the bar and told the guy the drinks were not cold. He responded with it might be the glasses .. he pour a bit of beer of and commented that I was right they were not “ice cold” but cool … Wasn’t offered any replacement or refund or apology so I left the two pints that cost £14 ish and left to find another place with a cold beer. Will not return Disappointing

This is our go-to pub whenever we have visitors staying with us. It’s been enjoyed by everyone we’ve taken there so far. Veggie bangers and mash are the best and the Sunday veggie roast is delicious too. No other pub in the area compares for these vegetarian takes on classic pub dishes.

Great atmospheric pub, that always feels full of locals when I visit. Sausage and mash variations on the menu are always fantastic

Had the best big fat enormous veggie sausages ever here. I chose the veggie Cumberland but they had run out so I went for leek and Stilton. So glad I did - they were fantastic. Great plate of food. The gravy was a bit overpowering (very sweet and vinegary) but looked beautiful and I still enjoyed it.

If you are a sausage lover during the week this is the place for you. We ce here regularly as their Sunday roast is great, they have options for vegans and vegetarians. They staff are great they even serve my little doggie left over beef.

Great pub with excellent choices of bangers and mash, so many different! Really good!

Brilliant pub! Fun, busy night for keyboard karaoke, amazing food and staff.

My friends and I came in today on a whim for a roast and we were blown away! The pub was super busy but still the service was still quick and phenomenal. The roast was amazing, I got the lamb and it was massive so tasty. This is definitely going to be my go to spot from now on!

We booked for a group of 15 for dinner on a Saturday evening with plenty of notice. When we arrived we had been allocated 3 different tables scattered around the pub and two spaces at the bar stools in the window. They moved some tables around but even then we only managed to sit together because two of our group couldn't make it. We then ordered our food, each having to order individually at the bar, so we expected the food may not all come out together. However, the food service was so terrible that they were bringing out one order at a time, with such long gaps in between that the ones with food had finished eating long before the next orders were bought out. In the end, it took about 1.5 hours until the final order was served. Two friends ended up having to ask for a refund and leave without eating as they needed to get home. Once it arrived, the food was delicious, but the service really was awful.

Great Sunday roast! We had a veggie and vegan nut roast and they were amazing! Cosy pub with a fire and great atmosphere. I'd recommend you book as there's limited seating inside.

Great pub for a nice cozy pint. The food it really good too, although I prefer it in winter. They are family friendly, and the fish tank helps, but the lay out is a little harder with younger kids

A very decent pub that's tucked away off the busy Seven Dials area. Doesn't look great from the exterior, but it's much more welcoming inside. Beer selection is bog standard, mind.

This pub is great. It had a bit of a makeover a few years ago and now it's one big room. Have been going here for years. They used to have a great/strange artwork model of Shakespeare that looked just like my dear friend Russell Fey Jones. Both sadly now gone ❤️. it is noisy in there tho, so don't go if you want a quiet one. Usually have one or 2 ales at a good fair price.

Nice nice atmosphere great Latin live bands

One of the best roast I’ve had recently, considering the big choices we have in Brighton. Each vegetable has its own flavour and gravy was top 🔝. I had chicken and wasn’t dry at all! Have come earlier and have to wait for a bit(as our booking time wasn’t until 30 min later and there were really busy) but worth the waiting. You should book if you don’t want to miss this!

Cozy pub with a fire. Does a wide variety of different sausages and mash as it's novelty food.

Love it! Probably my favourite pub in Brighton! And the banger and mash. OMG they are to die for!

Shakespeares Head is my local and been coming here for years - pre and post refurb 💕 Staff have always been amazing and are part of our local community - people know you and your Max to feel welcome Service great atmosphere great Food great Lucky to have this place on my doorstep🥰

Wow, what an amazing pub! Just had a wonderful Sunday roast, service great - food delicious - landlady Caroline very welcoming... five stars all round 😊

Such a lovely, friendly pub. The roast was scrumptious. I will be back!

Doth thou luvest the most adorable madam!

Haven't been here for ages...the bangers and mash was delish...service very good...and the ambience welcoming twinkling and clean...Will definitely be going again

I used to go to the Shakespeare’s head all the time. I’m very local and I used to love it. However I have visited it numerous times since the new opening. They have done a good job inside but every time I’ve been there the manager I guess a female is always very rude and brash and it seems to have lost the atmosphere there used to be. When I started to go back I thought maybe it’s just teething problems, but I found her just generally not bothered with what she’s doing and on several times she’s been sitting in the bar area with her mates, making a lot of noise and generally not interested in what’s going on around her , just thought I’d voice my opinion which I don’t normally do, but I feel that this needs to be addressed

Cannot recommend this roast more. I would go as so far to say it’s the best pub roast I’ve ever had. So delicious, perfectly cooked, great vegetarian options and the most delicious sticky toffee pudding desert. Great vibes too

Happy hour is decent, the prices are reasonable and the house wine is nice. Food is great, even though it can take a long time to arrive. However, the vibes are DEAD. The heaters outside are on a 45 second timer so you have to hit the button loads to stay warm. The seating inside is mainly stools and the gardens are built to pack people to max capacity instead of enjoyment. You're locked into uncomfortable seats to maximise their profits in getting more bums on seats. Love the staff, hate the management xox

They make Sausage and mash onto an art form. So many mash/gravy/sausage combo's on choice. Only problem is how long to wait for your dinner? Almost an hour and there was only one other table of 2 eating. Diabolical. ,

Lovely Sunday lunch. A bit of a wait after ordering but worth it. Food is excellent and the pub itself is really nice. The lamb shank more than lived up to expectations. The inclusion of a large Yorkshire pudding was much appreciated.

One of my favourite locals, the food is always very good and the atmosphere is chilled and welcoming .

Had a really nice Sunday roast and the bartender called Gemma was great at advising us on what to get. Lovely service and great staff! X

fantastic food, best roast dinner ever. lovely stuff

Superb roast- fantastic veggie options And top class service from Gemma

I cannot believe we have never been here before. What a find! And yes the whole choosing your sausage & mash & gravy has been done before, but when you find a glorious pub that does not only that but choose your filling & batter…well! It’s a whole different level!! I think we worked out you could have over 300 combinations of just one meal. And it was delicious food. Plus an array of really interesting sides-like beerkins-makes this place a truly lovely one. Great staff, superb wine & generally a beautiful set up….fabulous.

Food was tasty but I would prefer more mash less sausage. The chilli sausages are huge! We were cramped on a wonky table in the corner, and it wasn't the best table to eat at.

Is the best or one the best pubs in Brighton! Such attentive lovely staff and amazing food at a reasonable price!! Highly recommend

After 2 hours waiting, we were told they had run out of mash and it would be replaced with extra chips…and after 2.5hrs this was what we got. Each meal contained incorrect ingredients as they evidently had run out of most items. I’ve had two great meals here in the past and the staff tried their best but it was the most disappointing eating experience I’ve ever had. EDIT: I’d like to shoutout the manager who has been in touch with us following the meal. Really appreciate the extra effort to follow-up and ask us back to give them the chance to do better. Awesome customer service!

Great pub! Good atmosphere and friendly staff

My friends and I all had vegan nut roasts which were delicious and big portions, and came out super speedy. The bar staff and cook who delivered the food were all lovely and really accommodating of my two dogs. Great experience will be coming here again ☺️

This pub is amazing. It’s like Brighton pub’s used to be. Lively, friendly, staff who know how to have fun whilst providing excellent service. A great mix of customers, banging music, solid delicious inexpensive food. It’s great, highly recommend.

This is the best place on a Sunday. And a Saturday. And a Friday, Thursday... YOU GET THE IDEA. Food is top but it's the vibe that makes my feet take me there. A cracking boozer.

Bar staff are always accommodating and friendly - Great place for a Sunday roast!

Super sad - we booked a table for 8pm to eat. We ordered almost straight away and had to wait over 2hours for our food. We asked for some bags of crisps to help tide us over at 1.5hrs of waiting and were refused. They eventually gave us a refund after it got to 2hours and were given some drinks, but the damage was done. We were also told during the refund that they had no more mash (we’d all ordered sausages and mash ), so they supplemented it with chips. We came here for the sausages and mash because it was recommended (and the reviews were good), but ended up having one of the worst restaurant experiences we’ve had. The people were lovely but it doesn’t deserve anything more than a one star review.

They claim to have the best bangers and mash but it’s terrible. The pub is nice enough but it all went wrong when we ordered the food. An hours wait for the food (we ordered at 8.15 when it was quiet) and when it finally came out it was dry. When I made my complaints to the staff they were complacent and said it was not their fault as the food/kitchen is from a different company and ‘not their responsibility’. Do not go!!!

Booked a table. And pre-order the food. Food nice but not worthy enough to wait for one hour and half. When we asked the waiters they apologised about the wait. However, they didn't update us about what was happening. Just 5 minutes prior our food arrive they updated. Poor communication.

They offer sausages and fish, at the point of ordering we were informed that the fish was off the menu as well as 4 of the 7 or 8 sausages on offer, also one 9f the 4 red wines was also off the menu we waited an hour and a half to be served, an hour after placing our order we were informed that one of the dishes ordered was not available and we were shortchanged on the reimbursement (only by 50p but ...) asked to speak to the manager and were told he wasn't working that night.

Amazing place especially for sausage and mash or Sunday roast one of the best in Brighton . The atmosphere is warm and cosy, the beer is good and the staff are friendly. The veggie options are exceptional. Edit:changed Bristol to Brighton as I made a slight mistake in the initial review (though having lived in bristol also, it's probably one of the best in either)

Loved the spice sausage and mustard mash. Very good choice of beers. Service was excellent. We will definitely go back.

Really enjoyed Sunday roast at this nice pub just outside the busy streets of Brighton! We were here the Brighton Pride weekend so the atmosphere was very nice and chilled! Amazing food, my pork roast was delicious and a great combination of veggies in the plate! Definitely recommended :)

People come to this pub for the several different types of sausages on offer, which forms part of a meal package. Pick your sausage, pick your mashed potato, pick your gravy. There are 7-8 different types of combinations so you’ll never get bored deciding which combo to have each time! They have vegan sausages too!

On Wednesday 26th July two friends and I went to the Shakespeares Head Chatham Place Brighton for a meal at a prebooked (with the venue) time. We ordered our food at 8.00pm requesting that the Battered Cauliflower be treated as a starter and then after we had finished it the Sausage and Mash x3 be served. The bar staff accepted and agreed to this request and said they would let the kitchen know. There was no mention from the staff of any long wait for the food so we assumed the starter would come after about 20minutes. After waiting for well over an hour, I asked when the starter was likely to come and continued to wait. To our utter astonishment and shock despite what had been agreed when we ordered in less than 3 minutes after our starter arrived they brought the main meals. I calmly explained in brief to the person from the kitchen that brought them what had been agreed. Their response was just to look at me and try to put the plates on the table. So I reiterated what had been agreed at the point of ordering and requested them to take them back until we had finished our starter. With obvious reluctance and looking annoyed they took them back. We then continued our Cauliflower. All three of us thought it would be obvious when we finished that we were ready for our main course. After all this was what had been agreed. But as the main course seemed not to be coming I went to the bar to let the female know we were ready for our main course and was met by the interference of another customer at the bar who was clearly on the staffs side. At first I thought, as would anyone, that the staff had told him and were discussing us behind our backs. But as you will see from the poor attempt at an apology from the manager this was not the case. I was met by rudeness from the female behind the bar and no apology for the wait but she did say she would let the kitchen know. After waiting a bit longer and still no sign of our main meals one of my friends went and spoke to a male behind the bar and was also met by an unhelpful and rude attitude. Despite us requesting twice for our main course and on each occassion receiving rudness from the staff in reply, Both of us also being told that The Shakespeares Head isn't a restaurant its a pub and you have to take the food when it arrives, we still had to wait quiet some time for our main course. All three of us are sure the kitchen and bar staff deliberately went out of their way to keep us waiting as long as possible for our main course. When it did eventually arrive it was piping hot and very nice but the 2 very long waits added with the attitude of the staff meant the whole experience was marred with unpleasantness. We couldn't really enjoy the meal as we should have been able to. In our view it was a waste of money as we were unable to appreciate it as we would have liked. I asked to see the manager but apparently they were not on the premises and the only person I could speak to was one of the staff who had been rude to us which of course was pointless. If the venue sees themself as a pub and not a restaurant in a pub surroundings and you have to take the food as it comes then why did the staff agree when we ordered it that it would be fine to have our Cauliflower as a starter and then when we had finished it the main meals would be brought out to us? That is offering a false expectation and one which they clearly cannot/were not prepared meet. Why does the venue charge restaurant and not pub prices? We could have ordered exactly what we had in a restaurant and it wouldn't have cost any more and the service would have been far better. Furthermore, why were we not advised that there would be at least an hours wait for the food to arrive? If so we could have made a decision of whether to wait the hour plus or to go elsewhere. Could it be they were simply after the money in this day and age (after all it isn't cheap and we had drinks on top). Arrived 1930-1950.Placed food order 2004hrs. Starters delivered 2101. Mains deliveerd first time 21.05, Mains finally delivered 2nd time 21.32+. We were the last to eat yet not the last to arrive for or order food. Great customer service is not what this placed should be known for. The following day I contacted the Manager who said she needed to speak to her staff before making any comment. Then she called me back but she took the word of her staff over a paying customer. She offered me a half hearted apology on the phone for what had happened but was adamant no recompense or incentive to visit the venue again was due. In fact she refused point blank to even consider it. She said all we could expect was an apology which she would put in writing if I wished. At the time I declined this but after speaking to my friends it was agreed I would contact the venue and get an apology in writing. As you can see the so-called apology seems to be a list of excuses rather than one of true remorse. If asking kitchen staff to keep to what was agreed at the time of purchase and requesting politely they take the meals away is being rude or abrupt, then they clearly have a strange sense of perspective and perhaps this accounts for some of the awful customer service. Talking of which the customer service in the whole venue is very questionable and they certainly don't believe in even meeting the minimum of customers' expectations let alone exceeding them. If I wanted a venue with rude staff and wished to be made to feel most uncomfortable then there is Karens Diner at the Marina which would have been much more fun. Incidentally this is definitely not a hidden disabilty friendly venue. It is too nosiy and the staff seemed to have no idea of what the disabilty Sunflower means. Yet again disabled people are not being properly included in a venue. My opinion, if you want good and polite service at restaurant prices then don't go here. If you do then don't expect any satisfaction if you need to complain for any reason as the management will take the staffs word over a paying custmer and they are not likely to offer anything to recompence for a bad experience other than an empty apology.

Personnel has attitude issues, way too young to work in a pub. I left without ordering. Overrated.

Wow amazung sunday roast 1 of the best in brighton staff amazing fast service nice place has outside eating nice place foe food and try the bangers and mash weekdays amazing

This is probably my favourite pub in seven dials. Drinks are priced well and the Sunday roast is great. The sausage and mash did give me food poisoning, which isn't ideal, but it was very tasty.

Awesome food, bangers and mash may sound limited but the amount of variations of not just sausage but of mash and gravy as well make it very unique, and it tasted delicious! Great friendly service too, I will definitely return and recommend this place!

First time coming to this place for a vegan roast dinner and it exceeded my expectations by miles. I'm never impressed with the Sunday roast but this changed my mind and will be back for sure. My father is not vegan but he enjoyed every bite. This is how food should be made with love and care. The atmosphere is really cozy and nice music which was not too loud. And let's not forget about the staff. They are all friendly and cheerful. Would recommend this place to anyone. Thank you for the experience!

Best sausages ever (wild boar+onion gravy+cheddar mashed potatoes is a recommended combo), just great!

Quirky little pub and some interesting food, especially if you like sausages!

Busiest pub on my pub crawl tonight which says something, good vibe and ok+ beer selection. Shame couldn't order any food despite earlier than their stated end of food time but this happens. Would come back, just earlier!

Great food. Great staff. Great experience

Very lovely pub and helpful staff also a wonderful range of sausage and mash, still banging years on!!

Delicious Sunday roast Good drinks Great atmosphere

Amazing roast, so tasty and just the right amount of food! Will defo be back for more 🙏

Sunday roast was a 10/10! Sat outside in the sun and enjoyed our lovely meal. Super friendly and dog loving staff. Our doggos even got some dinner themselves. Dog friendly 🐶

Just had one of the best roasts I've ever eaten! This is the roast I will hold all other pub roasts accountable to... I had the pork, great sized portion and mostly importantly really crisp crackley crackling! (Nothing more disappointing than soggy chewy crackling) Also absolutely delicious Pinot Noir to go with it... Couldn't ask for more on a lazy relaxing Sunday afternoon!

One of the worst Sunday roasts I’ve had. They didn’t know the wine we wanted, even though it’s on the menu so we had to choose something else If you want a good roast try anywhere else

One of the best Sunday roasts I’ve had. They took great care to recommend a wine we would like from the recently updated selection If you want a really good roast don’t go anywhere else

Had a great time, super friendly staff, great food and some of the best gravy I’ve ever had !

BEST SAUSAGE AND MASH EVER!!! ❤️😍 we were a table of around 14 people when we went there for the engagement party of my partner and I. We had a great time, the staff was very kind and the food was just EXCELLENT, as ALWAYS. Also, my friends requested the song of my fiancé and I and they were so accommodating. Thank you so much for contributing to an incredibly special day!! ❤️

Great local. Super friendly staff and a cosy pub. Dog friendly and a great sun trap out the front and heated area in the back. Can't wait to try the food- drinks are very reasonable fir Brighton!

I stumbled upon this pub when I was visiting Brighton and it was such a pleasant experience. Firstly the exterior is so welcoming with large outside seating areas with heat lamps and nice plants etc. while the interior is beautiful and colourful, with wooden floors, colourful art and a huge fireplace. Seating wise you can sit at the bar and chat with the friendly staff, or choose one of their large tables for eating with a large group or alternatively find a little corner to sit with your dearest and get cosy. We were a small group so we chose a table and had Sunday lunch and ended up saying until closing time because it was so cosy and relaxed. The service was really good. We were welcomed with a smile and the staff went above and beyond - they really did provide a pleasant experience, with personality and professionalism. The girl serving us was kind enough to give us some tips on where to visit during our stay in Brighton. The drinks selection was great with plenty of draught options, spirits (particularly whisky) and wines. The food was served fast and with a smile and tasted amazing - as a vegetarian who is sometimes disappointed with veggie options I can say their selection of dishes is varied and delicious. The portions were a good size and the cost very fair for the level of food they serve. Honestly their Sunday roast is next level! I can’t recommend The Shakespeare Head enough :)

Pre ordered Sunday roast when we arrived the round table was uneven and rocking and you couldn't put a drink on it for fear of it falling off waited 1 hour and twenty minutes before meal arrived no carrots no parsnips 2 roast potatoes no Yorkshire pudding as menu stated beef tough pork overdone veg Wellington was like a brick all for £17 absolutely rubbish food dont bother going

Bon pub, personnel sympathique bien manger

This is the best pub I've ever been in my life. Lovely staff, great atmosphere, will come back again for sure x